Morris tribune., 1887-01-05

far as know, has spoke for Nancy
I Dedman.
Hers was death indeed, | can't
speak TO the partiklars, for had it as
it were handed down through ninety
years and more; but won't tell you
lie if | can help It, and for all
haven't It chapter and verse, its won
Serful lifesome, too
THE De lmans lived. when they wa:
to home, in bit OF u place in the
| Combe there. You might nass within
n yard Of it and not see it, so grand
father said They was OF a smuggling
crew. There was q chain ofthem SNUG
glers. from Portsmouth all the way,
and a wild set they was. They had
/ thc country on their side though, and
/ the coastguardses was thought no
better OF than they deserved.
/ There was two brothers, Dick and
! Joe Dedman, and their father;
and Nancy was the one girl She was
a beauty by all accounts-very wild
/ too, and as rare a one at smuggling as
! any OF them; and she would ride bare
/ back on any horse, and be out all
night and all day, and many's the
| time when she's kept the coastguard-
ses at bay, and done many bit OF
business as wanted a wOman's wit
! and mans strength.
she must have been still lass
when there was news of rare lot of
! spirits and baccy, lit was the war
! tii1e9 and the word was passed along
the line from Portsmouth to Hinde
. Head, and beyond too, in course.
And the Kings i1ien got wind on it.,
and they made ready for fl ay-they
thought as how they would break the
neck OF this smuggling business; more
fools they. as if poor men was
to be put down and denied their
rights so easy! Well, it seems as
they'd planned to put so many at
each OF the smuggling posts, all ready
and they said they would settle all.
and easy. too, excepting the Dedman
lot, on account OF Dick Dedman; he
was q wonderful power of a man.
They'd had warrant agin him ever
SO long, but never could lay hand on
him, nor find out where he put up.
So one of the Kings men, a sharp
young fellow, whose father were g.
farmer, but lately come over to this
side OF Godalming,) he took the Job.
And he dropped down one day on
mo No nd
made out as he were a sailor on his
way to Lunnon; and he asked for a
bite and a drink. And she looked
him up and down, and her decide
ment were that he meant no harm, so
she asked HIM in and gave it he.
And he talked from one to t'other OF
foreign parts and tire wars; and Nan
cy, she were terrible took up with it
all; and he had, they said, a way with
him, and he were an honest young
chap, too, but for his trade. Well,
without so much as her finding out,
she gets to tell he that she is alone till
the night, till the old man come, and
that he and the lads was away; Joe
to Guildford and Dick to the mill over
by Haslemere; he was but lately come
back and keeling quiet; giving his work,
and everyone was on his side, and
would not betray he to any of the
Kings men-she, who was that sharp
they called her Hawk-eyed Nance
she were drawn on and on-and he
wound up with more of his tales, and
went on his way, leaving her a think
ing on the Indies, and wishing she
mioht sea the sailor aoair
"But he, he went back to his mates.
and they followed Dick up, and sure
enough they nailed him at the mill,
and he were warranted and throw'd
into jail. Well, the fray came off, and
the coast guardses beat the smugglers
all along the line, and Joe Dedman
was killed in the fray, and the old
man swore as lie would track the trait
or who told on Dick and take his life
for his son Joe; for had Dick been
there ne would have made one too
many for the devils of Kings men.
Nancy hadn't a thought as how it
were she; NO, not when at the Hasle-
mere Fairing she met the sailor who
said as how he'd settled down with his
father, old farmer Kemp, to Godalming
which was truth, for he'd glv'd up
the coastguardsing.
Zone way and another they was al
ways meeting, and young Kemp he
lost his heart to she, and they say as
he told his father as he must have
Nancy Dedman or he would be off to
the war. The old farmer shook'd his
head, but he could never give his son
any denial, and when once he brought
Nancy to see the old man, he said he
were bound to confess that Nancy had
the ways OF lady, for all she was so
brown, and was Of the Dedman lot.
1t made deal of talk, but old Ded-
man he took no heed, till one day-it
were soon after Dick come home; |
never heard who gotten him out, but
it were soon after. Well, one day
Nancy spoke up that she was
going to get married and to young
Farmer Kemp. There was a kick-up!
the old man and Dick had set their
minds to give Nancy to one of their
crew to Portsmouth; to keep her in
the trade, and to keep themselves fair
with the head crew there. And the
whole crew WAS mad after Nancy Ded-
man. Nancy stood to it that she'd
marry young Kemp; and they gave
her time of it! a reg'lar persecution
as ever you find in Fox's Martyrs,
short of the stake we'll say. But Nan
cy were none of the kittle sort; she
stood to her say-and one day when
they was out of the house but not far
off, for they never left she alone Jim
Kemp crawled in from among the
bracken (she'd advertised he out Of
the danger) and tell her as his
father was just dead, and he
must -have an end OF this, and
will she fix the day? He said as how
he'd come and take heraway by force
ii need be, ase sffd some of his old
mates; and as she was puzzling how
ne could get a lot of sailors all OF q